Babka ziemniaczana (Polish potato cake) with wild mushroom sauce
Babka ziemniaczana is a much-loved Polish potato cake made from grated potatoes, eggs, smoked pig’s cheek (or bacon) and dried marjoram. Popular along the eastern flank of Poland, the dish is a celebration of simple, rustic ingredients and cooking that manages to be both hearty and tender (its delicate texture is not dissimilar to a quiche!). Kuba serves the babka with a rich mushroom sauce, which is finished with soured cream and dill.
Note: omit the bacon to make this vegetarian.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
POTATO CAKE
- 20g of unsalted butter, for greasing
- fine breadcrumbs, for coating
- 200g of smoked streaky bacon, or smoked cured pork cheek, finely chopped
- vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 2kg floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper, peeled
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 50g of plain flour
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
WILD MUSHROOM SAUCE
- 30g of dried wild mushrooms, ideally porcini
- 500ml of boiling water
- 25g of unsalted butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 200g of chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- 150ml of soured cream
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- finely chopped dill, to serve
- 1 sprig of curly parsley, to serve
Equipment
- 1.5-litre loaf tin
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 1.5-litre loaf tin or baking dish with the butter and coat with breadcrumbs, tapping out the excess. Set aside
- 20g of unsalted butter, for greasing
- fine breadcrumbs, for coating
For the wild mushroom sauce, in a heatproof bowl or jug, soak the dried mushrooms in the boiling water for 30 minutes
- 30g of dried wild mushrooms, ideally porcini
- 500ml of boiling water
In a large frying pan, fry the bacon in a vegetable neutral oil on a medium heat until golden and the fat has rendered out. Add the onions and cook until softened. Allow to cool slightly
- 200g of smoked streaky bacon, or smoked cured pork cheek, finely chopped
- vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
Meanwhile, finely grate the potatoes. Transfer them into a muslin-lined colander set over a bowl, then use the muslin to squeeze out the excess liquid. Place the potato into a separate large bowl and set aside. Allow the drained liquid to settle and separate into water and potato starch. Carefully pour away the water, leaving the potato starch slurry. Transfer this to the bowl of potatoes
- 2kg floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper, peeled
Combine the potatoes, potato starch, cooked bacon and onions and the remaining potato cake ingredients
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 50g of plain flour
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin, level the surface with a spatula and transfer to the oven to bake for 75-90 minutes, until deeply golden brown and firm throughout. Rest on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before removing from the tin and slicing
For the wild mushroom sauce, drain the soaked mushrooms (reserving 100ml of the soaking liquor) and finely chop them. Set aside
Melt the butter in a saucepan then sweat the onion until soft but not coloured. Add the fresh sliced mushrooms and cook until lightly browned. Stir in the soaked mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes, then add the reserved mushroom liquor and reduce it by half
- 25g of unsalted butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 200g of chestnut mushrooms, sliced
Add the soured cream and simmer gently until the sauce reaches a coating consistency. Season with lemon juice, salt and black pepper and finish with most of the chopped dill (you can make this in advance, but leave out the dill until just before serving)
- 150ml of soured cream
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- finely chopped dill, to serve
Remove the babka onto a board and slice into thick portions. If you’ve made the babka in advance, you can either reheat it in a 180°C oven on a baking sheet lined with baking paper or pan-fry both sides lightly in butter until crisp on the outside
To serve, spoon warm wild mushroom sauce into a shallow bowl. Place a babka slice on top and top with a little extra sauce. Finish with a generous scattering of the extra chopped dill and a sprig of curly parsley
- 1 sprig of curly parsley, to serve
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From moving to England at twenty-four to attend catering college to being named National Chef of The Year 2019, Kuba Winkowski has rocketed to the top in record time. His cooking is refined, peppered with Polish influences and – most importantly – delicious.
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